Anal skin tag surgery. Frightened. Any experience?

[Minime85]

I'm due to have a large skin tag removed in October. It has been making me miserable for about a year. When it's swollen it feels like I'm sitting on a golf ball! It's large enough to pull the inside out sorry TMI. It's more worse than it isn't if that makes sense. But the surgeon told me how bad the recovery is and I'm really worried about it being so painful afterwards and maybe creating other problems. I already suffer with IBS so last thing I need is to make things worse. Has anyone had this op done? Thank you

Hey thanks for getting back to me, is yours a lump or like a piece of skin? mine is just a bit of skin it looks much better since the first week but just the last week and a half there doesn’t seem to be much change in it, I have a follow up appointment on Monday so I’ll have to wait until then to see what my doctors says about it. It’s so disheartening after going through the procedure and feeling like nothing has changed really I hope it starts shrinking down a little cause it really makes me self conscious.

@Bethany34567 mine is like a bit of skin too. I was upset when I first discovered it as I thought it looked worse than what they removed and I had had the surgery for nothing. Hopefully once it has all fully healed it will be better. The surgeon said mine might not be completely flat but should shrink more. I expect it must be due to the swelling. He said it is about the size of half a pea so it must have reduced as it seemed bigger than that a few weeks ago x

Can I ask if it was just one skin tag removed? Mine isn’t really that bad but it just feels flappy and I hate that cause that’s exactly how it felt before I went in, I hope that it is just swelling for the both of us and it shrinks down, Did you have yours under GA? I noticed mine shrinking a lot over the first couple of weeks but now I don’t see much more improvement but I suppose I have give it a little bit more time and pray that it smooths out x

@Bethany34567 I had 2 tags removed, one bigger one smaller. It was done under GA x

Do you find both of were the skin tags were cut off that’s where the extra skin is? X

@Bethany34567 just where the larger one was, I had one stitch in that one I don't know if that is the reason there is a bit more skin in that area x

Was the smaller one left open? I had stitches in my one and I think maybe that is what has caused the extra skin. The stitches were going through that piece of skin at the start and then they eventually dissolved and now that is all that is left x

@Bethany34567 yes the smaller one was left open and that looks smooth so it must be to do with the stitch. Mine has dissolved too but just got this skin left.

When you had the smaller one removed did it take long for the swelling to go down on that one? It must be to do with the stitches cause mine has gone like that too!

@Bethany34567 yes the swelling took a few weeks, at first it was so swollen it felt like my insides were hanging out!!

Mine took I’d say took two weeks for the swelling to mostly subside but it just that little bit left, overall are you happy how it looks now?

I haven't looked for a few weeks, still quite sore at times just going to wait now until it fully heals and hope it goes down a bit more.

Are you still finding it sore after that long, I think I made the mistake of kept looking at it and freaking out every time lol hope it all works out for you anyway

@Bethany34567 yes it is still quite sore and still hurts to go to the toilet although slowly improving. The surgeon said it was normal and would improve as it heals. I looked a few times before I went for my post op appointment. I just got upset about the lump of skin but he said it was normal, small and should shrink a bit more so I have decided to stop looking! Thank you hopefully I will be back to normal in a few more weeks x

I suppose if you had the two removed it would still be painful, that’s me as well every time I look I feel upset about it just want to be normal again. Just give it a couple more weeks and I am sure it will look and feel much better x

I wanted to make quick update. My skin tag is probably conected to some vein and it is probably perianal hematoma or external hemorrhoid. I'm devastaded. This swollen vein is not big and ot actually got smaller over the couple weeks but I'm just frightened. I'm scared of reocurance. The fact that it can't be removed is killing me. I think I'm going to live life in constant fear. I'm young and I think my life just colapsed.

Hi Gabby, I am really sorry to hear that. Did you get your skin tag removed? I can’t say much about your situation on that but I kind of feel the same as you I feel like my life is in constant fear. Don’t let it define who you are and maybe something can be done in the future overtime I feel things might improve for you I know it’s not probably not the comment you wanted but I just wanted to say your not alone in this and I am here in you need a chat!

@Bethany34567 Thank you so much for response. I haven't got my skin tag removed. I have constant pain in my bum and recently doc diagosed that my pelvic floor muscles are over tightened (previosuly my diagnosis was tail bone pain). But actually I can't tell wether this pain comes from muscles or this external hemorrhoid. I'm very young and I've read that you can't really get rid of external hemorrhoids. Fear and pain is the only thing I feel right now. My anal skin tag attached to this hemorrhoid is very small and it actually doesn't bother my that much but I want to get rid of this hemorrhoid so much. I think my life is ruined...

That’s ok, have you tried any cream or ointments for the hemorrhoid to try and decrease the swelling (I know that may sound obvious) Also have you tried speaking to a different doctor maybe they could help? I don’t have much advise only I hope that it all gets better for you as your young it’s a horrible thing to deal with, I am young to and I had a procedure to get rid of a skin tag and it seems after all that it seems to still be there and it’s starting to take over my life I am so miserable about it. There must be something that can be done to help you with the pain have you tried sitz baths a couple of times a day?

I haven't try sitz baths. I think I'm going to try them as soon I get home because right now I'm in collage dorm. The pain and burning is awful but my skin tag doesn't seem to feel up with blood but still I have perianal hematoma or external hemorrhoid. I'm terrified of this hemorrhoid. I'm blaming myself because I wasn't eating enough vegetables and fruits. I was only drinking smoothies. My only hope is my physiotherapist. She told me that if the pain comes from my pelvic floor dysfunction we can get rid of pain but I'm so afraid pain comes from hemorrhoid.

Hi everyone, just a quick update as I wanted to see how everyone is going with their recovery?

I’m still waiting for my referral appointment as I haven’t been contacted. In the meantime I decided to order this oil what is supposed to be used for skin tag removal and has reviews of people using it in sensitive areas. Some say it’s worked, others haven’t but I thought I may as well give it a shot whilst I’m waiting what feels like forever to get my issue sorted. I’ve only used it two days so far so early days!

Hope the oil helps, I don't think I would be brave enough to try it. I am still improving slowly, sore at times but better than it was x

Hi all, me again. I rung the hospital where my referral should be as the letter told me that if I hadn’t received an appointment by the end of the month I had to ring up and book one. I rang and I feel like I got nowhere, they told me “you’re on the waiting list you’ll be contacted in future.” I’ve contacted a private hospital who say consultations will cost me around £200 but doesn’t include any diagnostic tests. I’m really on the fence about whether it would be better to pay and book private or wait for the NHS appointment? I’m also extremely scared of going private then having my surgery sooner if I need it. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

@AnonymousX7 could you ask them for an idea of how long you might have to wait? That might help you to make your decision. If you are going to have an operation anyway I suppose you could get it over with quicker if you go private then you will have less time to spend worrying about it.

@N172C yeah I could do that, would I ring the department phone that was on the letter? I think my only worry with private is, consultation paying out 200 and then the possibility of getting no help or the operation making me worse.

How are things going with you?